The winds of change in private healthcare, whilst blowing more
actively around the country, are beginning to affect London practice.
The moves by some hospital providers (Capio, Nuffield and BUPA Insurance)
to go downmarket in an attempt to gain cheap NHS or other contracts
has so far not affected London. ISTCs with foreign contractors
have likewise seemed remote from mainstream London practice. Whether
this will continue indefinitely is another matter.
London private hospitals (particularly those in central London)
may be insulated from some of these changes because of their relatively
wealthy communities, the overseas market and the fact that many
offer tertiary, complex and other services. The fact that self-pay
in some central London hospitals was lower than that in the periphery
may mean that this lost market will have less impact on London
hospitals.
Contracting for NHS work has and is taking place in various London
hospitals but this is relatively uncommon as at the moment the
hospitals are relatively full of more profitable fee paying patients.
Overall prediction of market change at this time are impossible
to make but London consultants should not feel that they will
be totally insulated from downward pressure from government, ISTCs,
the National Tariffs and the insurers’ demands for ever
cheaper and cheaper fees.
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